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THE WAY IT WAS

Feaster Crate mill in Irvine sold to Edwards brothers and others

Remnants of the old crate and box mill at Irvine stand in mute testimony to better days in this photo made in 1995. The mill was closed in the 1970s, but was left intact.

File photo

By David CookColumnist

Published: Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 5:57 p.m.

Dixon Irvine, administrator of the Irvine estate in the community of the same name, located north of Ocala, was in Ocala in April 1903 to complete the sale of a crate and box plant to a group of Marion County businessmen led by John L. Edwards.

Joining Edwards in buying the Feaster Crate Mill at Irvine were his brothers, Will and Lon; Ed L. Wartmann, of Citra; and Robert Easterling, of Martin. Easterling was a member of a family described by the Ocala Daily Star as “big cantaloupe growers.”

The Edwards brothers were engaged in farming as well as other business enterprises, including a meat market in downtown Ocala that featured their own blooded livestock. Buying the box plant fitted in with their agricultural interests. Wartmann also was involved in numerous business enterprises, had extensive citrus groves and operated a general store at Citra. He would be a major customer for boxes and crates.

The Feaster mill at Irvine also turned out baskets and barrels. John Edwards said the mill would continue to turn out a full range of containers and would be second to none in the country. The same staff that had previously operated the plant would continue on the job.

“We intend to continue the same high quality of material and product,” Edwards told the Ocala Star.

Edwards realized there were other crate and box plants that would give him a great deal of competition. Not the least among these was John Taylor's mill in Ocala, which was operated in conjunction with a sawmill that backed up to what is now Tuscawilla Park and utilized the pond to float logs until they could be milled.

Road request rejected

Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, the Legislature was in session and the Star learned that a bill for the incorporation of a boulevard from Ocala to Silver Springs, and annexing it to Ocala, had been introduced. Details were sketchy.

Ocala merchants had joined with the Ocala Board of Trade to petition the county commission to construct a wide, landscaped boulevard between Ocala and Silver Springs. The commission rejected the request and voted to put down a narrow lime rock road similar to other “good roads” they were then building to various communities.

Good roads were defined as any road where the surface had been hardened with lime rock. The merchants wanted something that would be a credit to the community and could be used to haul freight from the depot at the head of the springs to their businesses. The general belief was that shipping by water would be cheaper than railroad freight rates.

There was no evidence that the bill in the Legislature got anywhere, but the idea of annexing Silver Springs into the city of Ocala through a narrow strip of roadway was born. Later, annexation of Silver Springs was accomplished by this process. But once city officials learned the true cost of annexation, the whole process was dumped.

Delegation visits

In April 1903, a delegation from Gainesville came down by train to look at what Marion County had been able to accomplish with its good roads program. Members particularly wanted to see the lime rock mining operation north of Ocala.

The delegation included T.F. Thomas, chairman of the Alachua County Commission, two Gainesville city councilmen and other officials. They were met by Henry W. Long, chairman of the Marion County Commission, Commissioner N.A. Fort and others

They took a look at the county's rock crushing equipment. They traveled out on Silver Springs Road to see how the crushed lime rock was put down, utilizing wagon power and hand equipment (meaning shovels). Most of the interest centered on the cost of putting down the surface.

Editor C.L. Bittinger of the Ocala Daily Star, who went along for the ride, commented that the Gainesville delegation “are thoroughly imbued with the conviction that hard roads are a vital necessity in this age of progress in any community that expects to keep abreast of the times …”

Good roads promote the welfare of any community, he wrote. He felt the improved roads would stimulate agricultural pursuits and induce new settlers to move into the county.

Referring to the Gainesville delegation, Bittinger said, “If these gentlemen's convictions prevail, Alachua will begin the grand march of building public highways that will be a credit to the state.”

The editor guessed it would take only $12,000 to $16,000 a year in tax money to put a good roads program in place. He felt Alachua County was in a good financial condition to get a strong program under way immediately.

In Marion County, the county commission seemed strongly behind the road program, voting to buy additional road building equipment. But there was fussing from the public. A.D. Marlow called Commissioner Fort a liar in a letter to the editor. Marlow accused Fort of making false statements about a road petition from across the Ocklawaha River.

Fort chose to ignore the charges against him, and nothing came of it except hard feelings. The road program was not altered.

An avid Marion County historian, David Cook is a retired editor of the Star-Banner. He may be contacted at 237-2535.

<p>Dixon Irvine, administrator of the Irvine estate in the community of the same name, located north of Ocala, was in Ocala in April 1903 to complete the sale of a crate and box plant to a group of Marion County businessmen led by John L. Edwards.</p><p>Joining Edwards in buying the Feaster Crate Mill at Irvine were his brothers, Will and Lon; Ed L. Wartmann, of Citra; and Robert Easterling, of Martin. Easterling was a member of a family described by the Ocala Daily Star as “big cantaloupe growers.”</p><p>The Edwards brothers were engaged in farming as well as other business enterprises, including a meat market in downtown Ocala that featured their own blooded livestock. Buying the box plant fitted in with their agricultural interests. Wartmann also was involved in numerous business enterprises, had extensive citrus groves and operated a general store at Citra. He would be a major customer for boxes and crates.</p><p>The Feaster mill at Irvine also turned out baskets and barrels. John Edwards said the mill would continue to turn out a full range of containers and would be second to none in the country. The same staff that had previously operated the plant would continue on the job. </p><p>“We intend to continue the same high quality of material and product,” Edwards told the Ocala Star.</p><p>Edwards realized there were other crate and box plants that would give him a great deal of competition. Not the least among these was John Taylor's mill in Ocala, which was operated in conjunction with a sawmill that backed up to what is now Tuscawilla Park and utilized the pond to float logs until they could be milled.</p><h3>Road request rejected</h3>
<p>Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, the Legislature was in session and the Star learned that a bill for the incorporation of a boulevard from Ocala to Silver Springs, and annexing it to Ocala, had been introduced. Details were sketchy.</p><p>Ocala merchants had joined with the Ocala Board of Trade to petition the county commission to construct a wide, landscaped boulevard between Ocala and Silver Springs. The commission rejected the request and voted to put down a narrow lime rock road similar to other “good roads” they were then building to various communities. </p><p>Good roads were defined as any road where the surface had been hardened with lime rock. The merchants wanted something that would be a credit to the community and could be used to haul freight from the depot at the head of the springs to their businesses. The general belief was that shipping by water would be cheaper than railroad freight rates.</p><p>There was no evidence that the bill in the Legislature got anywhere, but the idea of annexing Silver Springs into the city of Ocala through a narrow strip of roadway was born. Later, annexation of Silver Springs was accomplished by this process. But once city officials learned the true cost of annexation, the whole process was dumped.</p><h3>Delegation visits</h3>
<p>In April 1903, a delegation from Gainesville came down by train to look at what Marion County had been able to accomplish with its good roads program. Members particularly wanted to see the lime rock mining operation north of Ocala.</p><p>The delegation included T.F. Thomas, chairman of the Alachua County Commission, two Gainesville city councilmen and other officials. They were met by Henry W. Long, chairman of the Marion County Commission, Commissioner N.A. Fort and others </p><p>They took a look at the county's rock crushing equipment. They traveled out on Silver Springs Road to see how the crushed lime rock was put down, utilizing wagon power and hand equipment (meaning shovels). Most of the interest centered on the cost of putting down the surface.</p><p>Editor C.L. Bittinger of the Ocala Daily Star, who went along for the ride, commented that the Gainesville delegation “are thoroughly imbued with the conviction that hard roads are a vital necessity in this age of progress in any community that expects to keep abreast of the times …”</p><p>Good roads promote the welfare of any community, he wrote. He felt the improved roads would stimulate agricultural pursuits and induce new settlers to move into the county.</p><p>Referring to the Gainesville delegation, Bittinger said, “If these gentlemen's convictions prevail, Alachua will begin the grand march of building public highways that will be a credit to the state.” </p><p>The editor guessed it would take only $12,000 to $16,000 a year in tax money to put a good roads program in place. He felt Alachua County was in a good financial condition to get a strong program under way immediately.</p><p>In Marion County, the county commission seemed strongly behind the road program, voting to buy additional road building equipment. But there was fussing from the public. A.D. Marlow called Commissioner Fort a liar in a letter to the editor. Marlow accused Fort of making false statements about a road petition from across the Ocklawaha River.</p><p>Fort chose to ignore the charges against him, and nothing came of it except hard feelings. The road program was not altered.</p><p>An avid Marion County historian, David Cook is a retired editor of the Star-Banner. He may be contacted at 237-2535.</p>